Bugged
by Lydea
Summary: Taking place many years before the events of the movie, Fix-it Felix is a helpful neighbor and a friend to all. Wreck-it Ralph finds himself curiously questioning his coworker's commitment when things start going sour for the handyman during the holidays.


Fix-it-Felix Jr. was a nice guy, too nice for his own good. Felix would spend every waking moment supporting, assisting and fixing for the local Nicelanders. He was a Good Guy and a good guy, in and out of gameplay. The same could not be said of his cohort, Wreck-it-Ralph.

Despite his rough exterior, Ralph did not share his passion for his title as Felix did. Sure, he was as good at wrecking things, as Felix was at fixing, but the rewards for destruction were too few outside of the game.

It wasn't difficult, as soon as the arcade closed Ralph would just clock out. While Felix went about doing favors Ralph would visit Tapper's or lay on his pile of bricks.

Ralph mulled over his life sitting on his pile of bricks, enjoying the silence of the evening. His game had been plugged in now for approximately seven years. The Nicelanders may detest him, during and after games, but Felix wasn't so bad. The handyman was always polite to Ralph and seemed willing to lend an ear but they didn't talk often. It was mostly business when they did speak.

It's not that Felix avoided Ralph, it's just the Nicelanders kept him so busy. Unlike Ralph, Felix never clocked out. He was always working, always needed, and always wanted.

That twinge of jealously began to creep into Ralph's psyche. He would love to know that feeling, to be adored.

But that was silly, it wasn't his job. Besides, he was very good at wrecking things and if he didn't do his job then who would?

Despite his best attempts at reassuring himself, he still couldn't shake the feeling.

The trolley that connected Niceland to Game Central Station pulled Ralph out of his thoughts. He could hear Felix and that mustached plumber guy conversing loudly in the tunnel. Irritated at the interruption, Ralph climbed over the side of his brick mountain, concealing himself from view.

"I can't-a thank you enough, Felix!"

"It was my pleasure, Mario. If you or the missus ever needs my help, for any reason at all, I'd be happy to oblige!"

"I'll keep-a that in mind. Stay in touch."

"Will do sir, good evening neighbor."

"Goodbye."

Ralph heard the train door open and close, followed by the echo of it moving back to Game Central Station. Out of curiosity, Ralph decided to peek over his bricks at Felix.

Felix smiled and waved as the trolley rolled out. As soon as it was out of sight, however, his face slumped. He stood there for a few moments, bringing a gloved hand up to his face to pinch the bridge of his nose. Ralph had never seen the hero look so worn. Felix slowly made his way to the multistory building he and the Nicelanders called home, dragging his feet. Before he could make it to the door, Gene, a Nicelander, popped his head out of a window.

"Oh, good you're here! I need some help moving some furniture, Felix, would you mind?"

Felix perked up and replied cheerily.

"Not at all, Gene, be up there in a jiffy!"

Gene closed the window as quickly as he opened it.

Ralph brought his eyes back to the handyman, whom had returned to his sluggish posture. Fix-it was on the porch now, one hand rubbing his eyes and the other massaging the back of his neck. Ralph watched the transition of Felix prior to opening the door with scrutiny.

Despite obviously feeling tired, Felix rolled his shoulders back and plastered that grin back onto his face. He walked into the building with a well-poised bounce to his step and hammer in hand as if he had just heard some good news.

When the door had closed, Ralph slid down his mountain of bricks to contemplate what he had just witnessed. Ralph had always thought Felix was just full of energy, why would he feel compelled to pretend? Ralph drifted off, deep in thought.

"Just a few more inches to the right."

The handyman pushed the sofa in the ordered position.

"Actually bring it back, a bit."

Felix did as told.

"Yeah, I like that. That looks good. Thanks Felix."

"Glad I could help. Was there anything else you needed?"

"I think that's it, well, it's getting late. See you tomorrow, Fix-it."

"Goodnight, Gene. 'Night everyone!"

A chorus of nighttime greetings came from the Nicelanders.

Felix exited the room to the hall with the stairwell. Boy, did he have a doozy of a headache. He was about to start climbing the stairs to his room, but at the last second decided to head down. Maybe some cool night air would help.

The hero removed his cap and ran a hand through his hair as he exited the building. The cool air was nice, but the silence was even more revered. Felix decided a short walk would be nice while enjoying the sleepy side of his home.

Ralph stirred in his sleep, both because he wasn't used to sleeping on this side of his mountain. Ralph blinked his eyes and lay still, wondering why he wasn't by his stump. All of the ponderings flooded back into his mind.

Why does Felix act that way?

The question burned in him. Maybe he should just ask, what's the harm?

Ralph climbed over his bricks and spotted the handyman in question just a stone's throw away. He was leaning against a tree, cap tipped over his eyes. Ralph decided now was as good a time to ask as ever.

Ralph slid down his bricks and managed to walk all the way to Felix without alerting him to his presence. Ralph was a little surprised, he was hardly light footed.

"Hey, Felix."

Fix-it didn't stir. Ralph didn't come all this way for nothing. He prodded Felix's shoulder with an oversized finger.

"Felix?"

That did it. Felix bolted awake, eyes wide with fear, and literally jumped five feet in the air. So high, that Felix hit his head on one of the lower branches which sent him crashing down.

Ralph stepped back out of surprise and put his hands up.

Felix somehow landed on his feet and was already composing himself after the ordeal, albeit rubbing his head.

"Jiminy jaminy, Ralph, you gave me quite a scare! Did I doze off out here?"

Felix was looking around, surveying his environment, trying to draw a conclusion. He noticed Ralph had yet to say anything and gave the giant a glance over. It was impossible to miss the questioning look in his eye.

"Is there something you needed, Ralph?"

Ralph nearly chickened out. Despite the bags under his eyes, Felix had a sincere look of interest in what Ralph wanted that made Ralph feel guilty he had woken his cohort. He opened his mouth to talk, closed it, and tried again.

"Why do you do it?"

Felix was a bit confused at the broad statement.

"Why do I do what?"

Ralph got a little irritated; Felix must know what he was talking about.

"Why do you, switch? You know, act smiley all the time?"

Now Felix was really puzzled. His eyebrows knitted together, thinking hard about his answer.

"Why do you think I'm pretending?"

Ralph was officially annoyed with the questions to his questions. Did Felix think he was daft? He felt anger start to boil.

It was an understatement to say Ralph was intimidating. Standing at his full height and becoming increasingly dramatic with his hand gestures as he attempted to explain himself. Felix tried to hold his posture standing under the tree, eye contact remaining steady, despite rising shoulders.

"I SAW you. Your face! As soon as Mr. Spaghetti and Meatballs left you, you switched!"

Felix eyes widened a tad with understanding. Ralph noted the reaction and calmed down a little.

"Well, Ralph, I apologize I didn't understand what you meant, no one's ever really asked me anything like that before. I'll try my best to explain, though I must confess I don't usually talk about these things."

Ralph was fully entranced with his coworker. He stood across from Felix, staring intensely.

Felix felt a bit uneasy under the close scrutiny but went ahead. He cleared his voice before he spoke.

"The Nicelanders, they're good at their jobs and all, but they tend to need help with more than broken windows. Any who, I think it's safe to say they… expect certain things of me."

Ralph's brow furrowed, he didn't quite understand Felix. He was missing something.

When Felix saw he wasn't getting anywhere, he began to rub the back of his neck nervously. Ralph wasn't like the Nicelanders, he didn't see Felix as the impervious do-gooder that the Nicelanders saw, nay, demanded of him.

It's not that Ralph was a jerk; it just wasn't in his code.

Felix wrestled with how to handle this. Did this make Ralph more trustworthy or less so? He was certainly on a different level, but did it end at that? In the end, Felix decided that noticing his dilemma and being inquisitive enough to ask him about it meant something. He decided to come clean.

This was difficult; Felix could feel the flush of embarrassment rush to his cheeks just on the thought. But he had made his decision, so he pushed forward.

"It's… It's usually something I don't have to put any effort into; I honestly enjoy helping others, most of the time."

Fellix was trying hard not to sound boastful, he was anything but. It was obvious that talking of his ability in this way made him uncomfortable. Ralph noticed the tips of his ears were red.

"But lately, I… well I haven't been feeling like myself recently."

And if he wasn't a braggart, he was never a complainer. Felix was now observably distressed, his face was bright red and his head was bent down to the point where Ralph couldn't see his expression, only the bill of his hat. But his tone was a dead giveaway.

Ralph wasn't expecting this answer. Why did Felix tell Ralph this and not the Nicelanders? Was Felix insulting him by treating him differently? Ralph knew this wasn't the intention. Felix looked like he was genuinely plagued by this. Perhaps it was even a compliment that Felix would talk to him. But Ralph didn't think that was the case either. Either way he was still curious, since frank inquisitiveness had brought him this far, he continued this approach.

"How so?"

Felix looked up at Ralph and smiled out of relief. Felix was very glad Ralph was remaining neutral. He supposed this was why he would converse with Ralph before he could talk to Mario or a Nicelander. Despite this, Felix still found it incredibly difficult to complain. He removed his hat and began fidgeting with it. He tried to elaborate but couldn't find the words.

Ralph, noticing Felix's anxiety, sat down, implying Felix do the same. The handy man did follow suit and spoke again, sitting up against the tree, eyes downcast.

"Well, uh, you see, lately I've been starting the day feeling… worn."

Felix was beginning to turn red again and he bit his lower lip in apprehension. He looked up to make eye contact with Ralph.

Ralph wasn't condemning Felix in any way for his shortcoming. If anything his interest had a professional air about it. Ralph nodded curtly, encouraging his cohort to continue. Felix managed to smile out of the reassurance, despite his predicament.

"Like this pain in my head, it wasn't really worth noticing before, but now it can be downright distracting. And I have to muster a bit more energy than usual to get the simplest things done."

Looking back on the situation, Ralph was glad he didn't think through how he was acting at that moment. Otherwise he might have backed down. This wasn't very Bad Guy of him.

Felix hadn't realized how worried he was by his situation till Ralph had called it to his attention and he was unintentionally looking to Ralph for help. He looked up at Ralph again, waiting for his reaction sheepishly, hoping he hadn't done something wrong.

Both to assure Felix and because he was starting to become genuinely concerned, Ralph continued prodding, this time putting in a bit more of an effort to be gentle. This was as difficult for Ralph as complaining was for Felix.

"You think it might be a bug?"

Felix shrugged.

"I wish I could say I knew, but the truth of the matter is I haven't had many dealings with these things. None of the Nicelanders have had any issues with bugs that I'm aware of."

Ralph didn't know much about viruses either, but he had heard a few things. It was more common for those folk without a game to get sick since they spent most of their time at grand central station exposed to contaminants, not getting enough to eat. It was less common for someone to get ill in their own game. Actually, Ralph couldn't recall ever hearing about a sick Good Guy, if this was indeed what was happening with Felix.

He supposed it was still possible. After all, Felix did spend some time travelling to other games.

Some illnesses would work themselves out of your system naturally with in game resets and the like. But sometimes they would eat their way through your code, making you defective and buggy.

Despite the difficulty Felix had expressing himself, he was very grateful he had been able to talk to someone. This was something that was beginning to trouble him a bit, but now that he got it off his chest he felt more confident. Felix smiled. It's not that there was a lot of good reason to smile; Felix just found it easier to smile than to be any other way.

Ralph awkwardly returned the grin. It was less charismatic but just as sincere, Ralph was pleased Felix had opened up to him. It left his face as quickly as it came, however. Felix still hadn't answered his question, most likely without realizing it, but Ralph still wanted to know.

"But why not just tell them, the Nicelanders? This could be a problem."

Smiling, Felix found this easier to explain than his ailment.

"Well that's just the thing. I don't want to be laying anyone with undue burden. I shouldn't trouble someone unnecessarily for something so small, after all this whole thing could amount to a lot of phooey. So I reckon best to keep to myself than cause a ruckus."

Ralph nodded understandingly, satisfied with that answer. A thought struck him.

"Do you think you'll be able to keep this up?"

Felix nodded.

"I believe so."

Felix realized something while talking.

"Actually, I feel a great deal more assured now than before. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me, Ralph."

This acknowledgment made Ralph feel a little uncomfortable. It hadn't been his intention, but he was glad to see Felix was actually relieved. He preferred this good natured grinning than the strained smile Ralph had witnessed earlier. Before he really had thought about them, Ralph's next words escaped.

"Yeah, sure, it was no big deal, you know. If you want to talk, again, we can, whenever."

Yes, this whole ordeal was decidedly very un-Bad Guy.

"I'd be delighted, brother."

Felix stood, putting his hat snuggly on his head, positively beaming. Felix loved making friends, even when he was finding a friend in a familiar colleague.

"Well, it's late; so I think I'll be heading off now. Thanks for waking me."

Ralph stood too. Ralph really hoped Felix wouldn't try to hug him or anything. To his relief, Felix turned to the apartment building.

"See you tomorrow, Ralph."

"Night."

Ralph watched Felix go before turning to his pile of bricks. He hadn't expected the conversation to go as well as it did, but he was very glad it did. He was harboring a morsel of concern, however.

Could Fix-it-Felix really be getting sick?

He would watch his coworker carefully since Felix seemed so adamant about not coming forward about these things.

Ralph fell asleep at peace as the silence of Niceland engulfed him.


End file.
